A How To Guide On Accessing A Mediport In Hospice

Introduction

This guide will review the supplies required as well as the procedure for accessing a mediport for a hospice care patient.

Supplies

• Central line dressing kit
• Non-coring huber needle
• Needleless injection cap
• Saline & heparin flushes

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Procedure

1. Wash hands
2. Explain procedure to patient
3. Position patient for comfort and access
4. Assess site
5. Locate port and palpate for needle placement
6. Open central line kit, huber needle, and injection cap (keep sterile)
7. Don mask
8. Don sterile gloves (maintain strict sterility after putting on gloves)
9. Cleanse area with chloraprep allowing to air dry (if using kit with alcohol and betadine use alcohol then betadine and allow both to dry)
10. Insert huber needle (make sure clamp is closed)
11. Apply skin prep to area around port avoiding insertion site
12. Cover with sterile transparent dressing
13. Add needleless injection cap
14. Flush per protocol after aspirating for blood return
15. Label with date, initials, and needle gauge & length
16. Document procedure

*A nurse should never access an implanted port unless he/she has demonstrated competency by successfully accessing a port with another nurse competent in port access.

*The IV Team is available for port access training via joint visits with the nurse.

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